Anode material, anode and battery, and methods of manufacturing them

Abstract

A battery capable of improving the cycle characteristics while securing the input and output characteristics is provided. The battery includes a cathode, an anode, and an electrolytic solution. The anode has an anode active material layer on an anode current collector. The anode active material layer contains an anode material having a plurality of covering particles on a surface of an anode active material capable of intercalating and deintercalating an electrode reactant. The plurality of covering particles contain at least one of an alkali metal salt and an alkali earth metal salt.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
       1. An anode material comprising:
 an anode active material including a carbon material; 
 a plurality of covering particles on a surface of the anode active material capable of intercalating and deintercalating an electrode reactant, 
 wherein the plurality of covering particles contain at least one of an alkali metal salt and an alkali earth metal salt, 
 wherein the alkali metal salt is selected from the group consisting of a chloride salt, a hydrosulfate, and mixtures thereof, 
 wherein the alkali earth metal salt is selected from the group consisting of a chloride salt, a carbonate, a hydrosulfate, and mixtures thereof, and 
 wherein the plurality of covering particles cover less than all of the surface of the anode active material and the at least one of an alkali metal salt and an alkali earth metal salt exists on the surface of the anode active material before an initial charge. 
 
     
     
       2. The anode material according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of covering particles cover at least part of the surface of the anode active material in a state of a film. 
     
     
       3. The anode material according to  claim 1 , wherein the alkali metal salt is at least one selected from the group consisting of lithium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, lithium sulfate, sodium sulfate, potassium sulfate, and mixtures thereof, and
 the alkali earth metal salt is at least one of magnesium carbonate, calcium carbonate, and mixtures thereof. 
 
     
     
       4. The anode material according to  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the plurality of covering particles to the anode active material is in the range from 0.1 wt % to 10 wt %. 
     
     
       5. The anode material according to  claim 1 , wherein the carbon material is natural graphite. 
     
     
       6. The anode material according to  claim 1 , wherein the anode active material contains a material containing at least one of a metal element and a metalloid element. 
     
     
       7. The anode material according to  claim 6 , wherein the material containing at least one of the metal element and the metalloid element is at least one selected from the group consisting of a simple substance of silicon, an alloy of silicon, a compound of silicon, a simple substance of tin, an alloy of tin, and a compound of tin. 
     
     
       8. The anode material according to  claim 6 , wherein the material containing at least one of the metal element and the metalloid element is a material containing
 tin as a first element, 
 at least one selected from the group consisting of cobalt, iron, magnesium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, nickel, copper, zinc, gallium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, silver, indium, cerium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, bismuth, and silicon as a second element, and 
 at least one selected from the group consisting of boron, carbon, aluminum, and phosphorus as a third element. 
 
     
     
       9. An anode comprising:
 an anode active material layer on an anode current collector, 
 wherein the anode active material layer contains an anode material having a plurality of covering particles on a surface of an anode active material capable of intercalating and deintercalating an electrode reactant, 
 the anode active material includes a carbon material, 
 the plurality of covering particles contain at least one of an alkali metal salt and an alkali earth metal salt, 
 the alkali metal salt is selected from the group consisting of a chloride salt, a hydrosulfate, and mixtures thereof, 
 the alkali earth metal salt is selected from the group consisting of a chloride salt, a carbonate, a hydrosulfate, and mixtures thereof, and 
 the plurality of covering particles cover less than all of the surface of the anode active material and the at least one of an alkali metal salt and an alkali earth metal salt exists on the surface of the anode active material before an initial charge. 
 
     
     
       10. The anode according to  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of covering particles cover at least part of the surface of the anode active material in a film state. 
     
     
       11. The anode according to  claim 9 , wherein the alkali metal salt is at least one selected from the group consisting of lithium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, lithium sulfate, sodium sulfate, potassium sulfate, and mixtures thereof, and
 the alkali earth metal salt is at least one of magnesium carbonate, calcium carbonate, and mixtures thereof. 
 
     
     
       12. The anode according to  claim 9 , wherein a ratio of the plurality of covering particles to the anode active material is in the range from 0.1 wt % to 10 wt %. 
     
     
       13. The anode according to  claim 9 , wherein the carbon material is natural graphite. 
     
     
       14. The anode according to  claim 9 , wherein a thickness of the anode active material layer is in the range from 60 μm to 120 μm. 
     
     
       15. The anode according to  claim 9 , wherein a volume density of the anode active material layer is in the range from 1.70 g/cm 3  to 1.95 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
       16. The anode according to  claim 9 , wherein the anode active material contains a material containing at least one of a metal element and a metalloid element. 
     
     
       17. The anode according to  claim 16 , wherein the material containing at least one of the metal element and the metalloid element is at least one selected from the group consisting of a simple substance of silicon, an alloy of silicon, a compound of silicon, a simple substance of tin, an alloy of tin, and a compound of tin. 
     
     
       18. The anode according to  claim 16 , wherein the material containing at least one of the metal element and the metalloid element is a material containing
 tin as a first element, 
 at least one selected from the group consisting of cobalt, iron, magnesium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, nickel, copper, zinc, gallium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, silver, indium, cerium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, bismuth, and silicon as a second element, and 
 at least one selected from the group consisting of boron, carbon, aluminum, and phosphorus as a third element. 
 
     
     
       19. A battery comprising:
 a cathode; 
 an anode; and 
 an electrolytic solution, 
 wherein the anode has an anode active material layer on an anode current collector, 
 the anode active material layer contains an anode material having a plurality of covering particles on a surface of an anode active material capable of intercalating and deintercalating an electrode reactant, 
 the anode active material includes a carbon material, 
 the plurality of covering particles contain at least one of an alkali metal salt and an alkali earth metal salt, 
 the alkali metal salt is selected from the group consisting of a chloride salt, a hydrosulfate, and mixtures thereof, 
 the alkali earth metal salt is selected from the group consisting of a chloride salt, a carbonate, a hydrosulfate, and mixtures thereof, and 
 the plurality of covering particles cover less than all of the surface of the anode active material and the at least one of an alkali metal salt and an alkali earth metal salt exists on the surface of the anode active material before an initial charge. 
 
     
     
       20. The battery according to  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of covering particles cover at least part of the surface of the anode active material in a film state. 
     
     
       21. The battery according to  claim 19 , wherein the alkali metal salt is at least one selected from the group consisting of lithium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, lithium sulfate, sodium sulfate, potassium sulfate, and mixtures thereof, and
 the alkali earth metal salt is at least one of magnesium carbonate, calcium carbonate, and mixtures thereof. 
 
     
     
       22. The battery according to  claim 19 , wherein a ratio of the plurality of covering particles to the anode active material is in the range from 0.1 wt % to 10 wt %. 
     
     
       23. The battery according to  claim 19 , wherein the anode material has a coat covering the plurality of covering particles, and forming a stable interface that has conductivity of electrode reactant ions but does not have conductivity of electrons between the anode and the electrolytic solution. 
     
     
       24. The battery according to  claim 19 , wherein the carbon material is natural graphite. 
     
     
       25. The battery according to  claim 19 , wherein a thickness of the anode active material layer is in the range from 60 μm to 120 μm. 
     
     
       26. The battery according to  claim 19 , wherein a volume density of the anode active material layer is in the range from 1.70 g/cm 3  to 1.95 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
       27. The battery according to  claim 19 , wherein the anode active material contains a material containing at least one of a metal element and a metalloid element. 
     
     
       28. The battery according to  claim 27 , wherein the material containing at least one of the metal element and the metalloid element is at least one selected from the group consisting of a simple substance of silicon, an alloy of silicon, a compound of silicon, a simple substance of tin, an alloy of tin, and a compound of tin. 
     
     
       29. The battery according to  claim 27 , wherein the material containing at least one of the metal element and the metalloid element is a material containing
 tin as a first element, 
 at least one selected from the group consisting of cobalt, iron, magnesium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, nickel, copper, zinc, gallium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, silver, indium, cerium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, bismuth, and silicon as a second element, and 
 at least one selected from the group consisting of boron, carbon, aluminum, and phosphorus as a third element. 
 
     
     
       30. The battery according to  claim 27 , wherein the material containing at least one of the metal element and the metalloid element is a material containing SnCoC, wherein the carbon content of the material is 9.9 wt % to 29.7 wt %, and wherein a ratio of the amount of cobalt to the total amount of tin and cobalt in the material is 30 wt % to 70 wt %. 
     
     
       31. The battery according to  claim 30 , wherein the material includes a phase containing tin, cobalt and carbon. 
     
     
       32. The anode material according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of covering particles are formed on the surface of the anode active material regardless of any charge. 
     
     
       33. An anode material comprising:
 a plurality of covering particles on a surface of an anode active material capable of intercalating and deintercalating an electrode reactant, the plurality of covering particles covering less than all of the surface of the anode active material before an initial charge, and the anode active material including a carbon material; and 
 a coat covering the plurality of covering particles, 
 wherein the plurality of covering particles contain at least one of an alkali metal salt and an alkali earth metal salt, 
 wherein the alkali metal salt is selected from the group consisting of a chloride salt, a hydrosulfate, and mixtures thereof, and 
 wherein the alkali earth metal salt is selected from the group consisting of a chloride salt, a carbonate, a hydrosulfate, and mixtures thereof. 
 
     
     
       34. The anode material according to  claim 33 , wherein the coat covering the plurality of covering particles is formed by reaction between the anode material and an electrolytic solution during the initial charge.